Expansion bolt and plug.



G B. GOFF. EXPANSION sou AND PLUG. APPLICATION FILED AUG.23| IQIB- 1 9Patented Oct. 24, 1916.

w /vvv///// m GEORGE B; GOFF, OF JOHNSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

EXPANSION BOLT AND PLUG.

Specification of Letters :Patent.

Patented Oct. 2st, 19108.

Application filed August 23, 1916. Serial No. 116,465.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnoncu B. Gore, a citizen of the United States,residing at Johnstown, in the county of Gambria, State of "Pennsylvania,have invented certain new and has specialjreference to an expansion.

bolt and plug for use in connection with tubular boilers. I

It is a Well. recognized fact among the users of tubular boilers thatsuch boilers frequently leak by-reason of their tubes giving away or'theconnections between the tube and tube sheet becoming loose. In the firstinstance, it is necessary to replace the tube but at times it'isinconvenient to replace the tubes on account of the boiler being inservice so that such replacements are preferably put off.

One important object of the invention is to'provide an improvedexpansion bolt and plug for use in connection withsuch tubes so thatboth ends of'the leaky tube may be closed if desired, thus enabling theboiler to continue in'use until a convenient time is found for repairs.g

In the second instance, wherethe leak occurs around theconnection'between the tube and the flue sheet it is necessary toreexpand the tube at this point and probably to rebead such tube. Thisalso'requires shutting down of the boiler and a second important objectof the invention is to provide means which will avoid this shutting downat inconvenient times by providing an expansion bolt and plug, whichplug'will fitin the mouth of the tube and by reason of its taperingformation force the wall of the tube firmly into engagement with theopening in the tube or flue sheet so that no leakage can take place.

With the above and other objects in view, as will be hereinafterapparent the invention consists in general of certain novel details ofconstruction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described,illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and specifically claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, like characters of reference indicate likeparts in the several views, and Figure 1 is a section through a portionof a flue or tube sheet and a boiler tube or flue showing the deviceapplied thereto. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section throughthe device.Fig. 3 isa section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. i is a detailperspective ofone of the pivoted members of the expansion bolt.

In carryingout the objects ofthis 111VG11- tion-there is provided a body10 having a threaded opening 11 extending centrally therethrough. Atdiametrically opposite points this body is also provided with recesses12 and through these recesses pass pivot pins 13whereto are pivoted thereduced ends 1% of expansion members 15 having their confronting facesformed with grooves 16 angularly disposed with reference to each other.

At 17 1s a rod which has 1ts inner end threaded as at 18 andthisthreaded end is screwed through the opening 11. Formed on or securedtothis rod is a frusto-conical portion 19 which fits between the members1:") in the grooves 16. Therod extends outwardly from this portion 19and has its outer end also threaded asshown at 20. On this threadedouter end is slid-ably mounted a frusto-conical plug 21 which is of.such size as to fit closely in the mouth of a flue such as is indicatedat A so that when the plug is forced into the mouth the wall of the fluewill be spread and fit closely in the flue opening. ofa flue sheet 13.Resting against the outer end ofthe plug 21 is an asbestos washer 22-which is stoppedby a metal washer 23 against which engages the innerface of a nut 24L.

In order to prevent any movement of the expansion member each of themembers 15 is provided with spaced ribs 25 having sharpened biting edgesas indicated at 26, these biting edges engaging the inner surface of thewall of the flue A when in position.

In the operation of the device the expansion member or inner end isplaced within the tube and the rod 17 rotated so that the portion 19 isforced between the members 15. This causes these members to spread apartand thus the edges 26 will bite into the inner face of the wall of theflue. hen these edges are engaged with the flue in this way the plug 21is placed on the member 17 together with the washers 22 and 23 and thenthe nut 24 is screwed up on the member 17 so that the plug is forcedwill be obvious that under this construction,

as shown in Fig. 1, the mouth of the flue will be forced firmly outwardso that the fiue wall will engage the opening in the flue sheet. It willalso be obvious that if the flue leaks between its ends it is merelynecessary to apply one of these devices to each end of the leaking fluewhereupon the leakage from thewater space of the boiler into the fluewill simply accumulate in the latter without working any injury otherthan reducing the heating surface of the boiler slightly. Thus, wheneverthe flue leaks, either intermediate its ends, or at its connection witha flue sheet the device may be applied without shutting down the boilerso that the latter can be continued in operation until a convenient timefor shutting down occurs, when permanent repairs will be effected.

There has thus been provided a simple and eflicient device of the kinddescribed and for the purpose specified.

It is obvious that many minor changes may be made in the form andconstruction of the invention without departing from the materialprinciples thereof. It is not therefore desired-to confine the inventionto the exact form herein shown and described but it is wished to includeall such as properly come within the scope claimed. Having thusdescribed the what is claimed as new, is

1. In a device of the kind described, a body having a threaded opening,a pair of members hinged to the body and having angularly disposedconfronting faces, a rod invention,

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe having one end threaded and screwed into said opening and having afrusto-conical portion fitting between said confronting faces, andoppositely disposed arcuate ribs formed on the free ends of the pivotedmembers and provided with sharpened biting edges engageable with theinside of a flue.

2. In a device of the kind described, a body having a threaded opening,a pair of members hinged to the body and having angularly disposedconfronting faces, a rod having one end threaded and screwed into saidopening and having a frusto-conical portion fitting between saidconfronting faces, oppositely disposed arcuate ribs formed on the freeends of the pivoted members and provided with sharpened biting edgesengageable with the inside of a flue, a plug mounted -on the remainingend of the rod and means to force the plug toward said body.

3. In a device of the kind described, a body having a threaded opening,a pair of members hinged to the body and having angularly disposedconfronting faces, a rod having one end threaded and screwed into saidopening and having a frusto-conical portion fitting between saidconfronting faces, oppositely disposed arcuate ribs formed on the freeends of the pivoted members and provided with sharpened biting edgesengageable with the inside of a flue, the remaining end of the rod beingalso threaded with the thread of the same hand as first thread, atapered plug slidably mounted on said last-mentioned end, and a nutscrewed onto said last-mentioned end and forcing said plug inwardly.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my; signature in the presence of twowitnessesgg' GEORGE E. GOFF. I

, Witnesses:

V. J. BRADDOCK, JACOB LIHMAN.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. O.

